Monthly Blog: Confessions of the Globetrekking Architectural Historian, John Tschirch

The rose has an honored place in the artistic and cultural life of France. From the rose windows of Gothic cathedrals to the poetry of the Renaissance and the elaborate gardens of French chateaux, the rose has symbolized love, purity and passion. Roses thrive in the gentle climate of the Loire Valley, where they have been cultivated for centuries. Due to the varied regions of France, several types of roses are produced throughout the country. The celebrated flower has been used as a symbol of the Virgin Mary, the inspiration for poets, the motif of queens and mistresses and the pride of famed botanists.

In my forthcoming novel, Beauty’s Hero: The Story Behind the Tale of Sleeping Beauty, the rose plays a central role in this story of love, loss and renewal. Below are images and poems that appear in my story, due out in the winter of 2017.

The Tower of Jealousy from the Romance of the Rose.

The 12th century poem uses a rose as the object of a young man’s desire in this most famous of Medieval romances. A symbol of a young maiden’s beauty and purity, the rose is guarded in a tower of jealousy surrounded by a moat bedecked with roses. IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. PD.

Pressed Rose from the Chateau of Canon, Normandy. PHOTOGRAPH: JOHN TSCHIRCH

The Rose by Pierre de Ronsard (1528-1585)

‘Sweetheart, let us see i the rose that this morning opened her red dress to the sun, this evening has lost the folds of her crimson dress, and her complexion similar to yours.

Ah, Sweetheart, see how in a few hours, the petals of her flowers all have faded, fallen, died. Sad nature, mother ruinous since such a beautiful flower only lasts from dawn til dusk.

So, if you believe me, my sweetheart, gather the fleeting flower of your youth. Take your pleasure. Be merry with your youthful bloom. For the length of the day will tarnish it like roses that were loveliest. For the doom of age will blight your beauty.”

The Rose standards of Chenonceau.

Diane de Poitiers, mistress of Henry II, created the gardens of Chenonceau. After the King’s death, his queen, Catherine de Medici, evicted the mistress and took over ownership of the chateau. She added to the gardens, which became the backdrop for lavish court spectacles. Due to its association with powerful women of the French royal court, Chenonceau became known as the “Chateau of the Ladies,” a place of remarkable beauty and seduction famed for its exquisite roses and various blooms. PHOTOGRAPH: JOHN TSCHIRCH.

Portrait of Madame de Pompadour by Francois Boucher, 1756.

The mistress of Louis XV, Madame de Pompadour reigned supreme in the arts of love. In addition to her renowned beauty and charm, she was well read and a major patron of the arts. She is depicted in this portrait in gown decorated with roses. In her gardens of the many chateaux the King built for her, she cultivated the finest roses. The delicate blooms also appeared on the Sevres porcelain so highly prized by Madame de Pompadour. IMAGE: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. PD.

Detail of the portrait of Madame de Pompadour by Francois Boucher.

Roses at the feet of Madame de Pompadour. Could these blooms symbolize the passion of Louis XV for his mistress? Paintings of this period were rich in subtle imagery and innuendo. IMAGE: WIKIPEDIA COMMONS. PD.

Portrait of Marie Antoinette by Elisabeth Vigee-Lebrun, 1779.

The queen holds a simple, perfect rose in her hand, a symbol of purity and virtue. IMAGE:WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. PD.

View of the rose garden of the Parc du Bagatelle.

Purchased in 1775 by the Comte d’ Artois the brother of Louis XVI, Bagatelle became on of the most celebrated gardens in Paris. PHOTOGRAPH: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. PD.

Illustration of the rose variety known as “Souvenir du Malmaison” by Pierre Joseph Redoute, 1824.

The Empress Josephine developed one of the finest rose gardens in Europe at her country estate, Malmaison. Redoute’s superb illustrations of the roses of Malmaison are mong the finest botanical images ever created and continue to be reproduced today. PHOTOGRAPH: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS. PD.

Pressed Roses.

These flowers were collected by me over the years on my travels to legendary French gardens.. LEFT TO RIGHT: 1. ROSE FROM THE PETIT TRIANON AT VERSAILLES; 2. ROSE FROM THE CHATEAU OF CHENONCEAU; 3. ROSE FROM THE PARK MONCEAU, PARIS; 4. ROSE FROM THE CHATEAU OF VILLANDRY. PHOTOGRAPH: JOHN TSCHIRCH.

THE DESIGN STUDY GROUP GANG IN THE COURTYARD OF THE PALAIS ROYAL. THE BLACK AND WHITE STRIPED COLUMN BASES ARE PART OF THE 1986 ART INSTALLATION KNOWN AS THE “COLUMNS OF BUREN” CREATED BY THE FRENCH ARTIST DANIEL BUREN. PHOTOGRAPH: JOHN TSCHIRCH

The colonnades and gardens of the Palais Royal have been home to a cardinal, a queen, princes, princesses, dukes, duchesses and assorted restauranteurs, revolutionaries, actors, musicians, prostitutes and card sharks. It seems as if all of France has paraded through the elegant courtyards and galleries of this complex of classical buildings in the heart of Paris. The vibrant and colorful history of the nation is embedded in the walls of this most noble and notorious setting.

VIEW OF THE PALAIS ROYALE, 1679. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA. P-D.

Cardinal Mazarin, the all powerful minister of state for King Louis XIII, commissioned architect Jacques Lemercier to design and build his palace in the mid 1620s. Opposite the Louvre, the Palais Cardinal became the epicenter of political power. Upon the death of Richelieu in 1642, the palace was left to the King. In 1643, this most elegant of buildings became home to Louis XIII’s widow, Anne of Austria, the boy-King Louis XIV and his brother, and the chief minister, and supposed lover of the Queen, Cardinal Mazarin. Renamed the “Palais Royal,” it served as a regal residence until inherited by the Duc d’Orleans.

During the French Revolution, Philippe d’Orleans took the name “Philippe d’Egalite” (Philip the Equal) and opened the gardens to the public and hired the architect Victor Louis to design elegant galleries around the grounds to house shops. Although he supported the revolutionaries, he was still guillotined in the end. His son, Louis Philippe, became King of the French in 1830.

PLAN OF THE PALAIS ROYAL, 1679. PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA. P-D.

The complex is entered by the main portal on the rue Saint-Honore. The entrance court leads through a passage into the Court of Honor. To the right, colored in blue, was the first theater in the palace. The scene of some of the greatest French theatrical and musical talent, the theater was used in the 1660s by Moliere’s troupe of actors and in the 1670s by the brilliant musician, Jean Baptiste Lully for performances of the Royal Academy of Music.

THE ARCADES OF THE PALAIS ROYAL IN GOLDEN TWILIGHT. PHOTOGRAPH: JOHN TSCHIRCH

The arcade is lined with superbly carved half columns (or pilasters). The precision and harmony of this architectural ensemble is typical of the restraint and order of French Neoclassicism. Shops and restaurants line the arcades while the upper levels contain apartments. Among the more famous residents of the apartments was the Nobel prize winning writer, Colette, author of the novella, Gigi.

ARCHITECTURAL DETAIL. PHOTOGRAPH: JOHN TSCHIRCH

Detail of the composite order of Ionic scrolled column capitals resting on acanthus leaves. Above each window are trophy motifs comprised of ancient Roman weapons and armor.

PROSTITUTES AND THEIR CLIENTS IN THE GALLERIES MONTPENSIER AND BEAUJOLAIS AT THE PALAIS ROYAL, 1800. PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA. P-D.

The galleries of the Palais Royal were a gathering place for fashionable and not so fashionable Parisian society throughout the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Once a private noble house, the extensive grounds of the palace were developed by the Orleans family in the late 1700s as galleries for shops and a public garden. Mobs ransacked the palace during the Revolution of 1848. In the 1850s, Prince Napoleon, the cousin of Napoleon, took up residence. Today, the palace houses the Council of State, the Ministry of Culture, the Constitutional Council and part of the National Library of France. One can also still dine at the Grand Vefour, one of the oldest restaurants in Paris.

PLACE DES VOSGES. THE FIRST CLASSICAL SQUARE IN PARIS. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

Tranquil, harmonious, urbane. The Place des Vosges is both active and peaceful, a remarkable achievement in a city square. Henry IV (1553-1610) envisioned a new type of urban environment to enliven and beautify his capital. “Good King Henry” announced by royal edict in 1605 his intention to endow Paris with a place to serve as “a promenade for the inhabitants of our city.”

Originally named the Place Royale, Henry IV’s scheme centered on an open space in the form of a square surrounded by houses of uniform height and materials. Red brick, sandstone blocks, iron balconies and blue slate tile roofs create a visually harmonious effect. The first level of the houses was comprised of stone arcades sheltering a variety of shops and allowing visitors to stroll and engage in that most important of fashionable urban pastimes, looking at each other’s clothing.

LUNCH NEAR THE PLACE DES VOSGE WITH GRADUATES FROM MY RHODE ISLAND SCHOOL OF DESIGN CE COURSE IN DESIGN HISTORY. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

The Place Royale signaled the arrival of the rational principles of Renaissance urban planning in Paris, which up to this point had been an intricate maze of Medieval streets and dark alleyways. Light filled and spacious, the new “place” allowed for a new kind of elegant public life in cities. With classic French restraint and an eye for scale and proportion, the Place Royale became the model for succeeding squares in the city and beyond.

THE RED BRICK WALLS, SANDSTONE BLOCKS, KNOWN AS “QUOINS,” AND BLUE SLATE ROOFS WERE THE BASIS FOR THE TYPE OF RESIDENCE PERFECTED IN 17TH CENTURY FRANCE. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

THE SHADED CANOPY OF CLIPPED TREES IN THE CENTER OF THE PLACE DES VOSGES. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

Assassinated in 1610, Henry IV never saw his finished square. His son, Louis XIII, inaugurated its completion in 1612 with a magnificent carrousel (a horse parade) to celebrate his wedding to Anne of Austria. Located in the center of the Marais District, the square became the heart of fashionable life. Among its famous residents were the Duke de Sully (1559-1641), minister to Henry IV, Cardinal Richelieu (1607-1624), the all powerful chief minister of Louis XIII, the writers Madame de Sevigne (1626-1696) and Victor Hugo (1802-1885) and the poet, Theophile Gautier (1811-1872). After the French Revolution, the government purged the square its royal associations by renaming it after the Vosges region, the first to pay tax to support the Revolutionary army.

EACH RED BRICK HOUSE CONSISTS OF A FIRST FLOOR ARCADE LEADING TO SHOPS. ABOVE THE ARCADES ARE THE MAIN FLOORS OF THE RESIDENCE WITH TALL WINDOWS FACED WITH IRON BALCONIES. THE BEAUTY OF THE SQUARE IS IN ITS CONSISTENCY. THE MATCHING COLOR OF RED BRICK AND SANDSTONE VISUALLY UNIFY THE ENTIRE ENSEMBLE. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

Approach Versailles, the palace of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and prepare to be in the presence of magnificence. The entire ensemble of the vast building, its entrance, state rooms and gardens were carefully planned to reinforce the grandeur of the monarch. Built from the 1660s to the 1680s, this great enterprise in monumental construction involved thousands of craftsmen under the direction of the King’s artistic team: the architect, Louis Le Vau, the painter, Charles Le Brun and the landscape designer, Andre Le Notre. The first view for a visitor to Versailles was the entrance to the palace by three radiating avenues terminating at the main gate, which opened on to the Place d’Armes. Beyond this forecourt lay the Golden Gate of the King and the Court of Honor. This sequence of gilded gates prepared all guests, whether high and mighty ambassadors or those of less exalted status, to enter the presence of a king who ruled, he truly believed, by divine right. All of the arts of architecture, sculpture and ironwork were dedicated to creating an entrance of unparalleled beauty, craftsmanship and splendor. The Golden Gate became such a powerful symbol of the king that it was torn down during the French Revolution and only restored in 2008/2009. These images of gilded wrought iron have inspired my historical fiction novel, set in 17th century France, which will be published in the Fall of 2016.

THE GOLDEN GATE SUPPORTING A ROUND CREST BEARING THE FLEUR DE LIS OF THE ROYAL FAMILY TOPPED BY THE CROWN OF FRANCE. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

DETAIL. GOLDEN MASK OF THE SUN GOD, APOLLO, USED BY LOUIS XIV FOR HIS PERSONAL SYMBOL AS THE SUN KING. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

DETAIL OF THE LETTER “L” FOR LOUIS XIV. THE LETTERS ARE INTERLACED TOGETHER. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

DETAIL. THE ELEGANT RHYTHM OF REPETITIVE DESIGN. THESE CURVING FORMS ARE AT THE BASE OF THE GOLDEN GATE EXECUTED IN WROUGHT IRON COVERED IN GOLD LEAF. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

THE CROWN OF FRANCE BEARING THE FLEUR DE LIS. EVERY VISITOR PASSED UNDER THIS SYMBOL OF THE FRENCH MONARCHY ABLAZE IN GOLD AS THEY ENTERED THE COURT OF HONOR. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

THE GOLDEN GATE IS COMPOSED OF WROUGHT IRON GRILLWORK TOPPED BY FLEUR DE LIS, THE SYMBOLIC FLOWER OF THE FRENCH MONARCHY. AT INTERVALS, THE CROWN OF FRANCE APPEARS WITH PALM FRONDS AT EITHER SIDE. IN THE BACKGROUND IS THE ROYAL CHAPEL. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

THE AFTERNOON SUN BEAMS THROUGH THE GOLDEN GATE. RESTORED IN 2008, THE GATE VISUALLY PREPARED VISITORS TO THE PALACE TO ENTER THE PRESENCE OF THE KING. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

THE GOLDEN GATE AT TWILIGHT. CAPTURED AT THE VERY END OF THE DAY, A SOFT LIGHT ACCENTUATES THE FINE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF THE IRONWORK AND HIGH QUALITY OF GILDING. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

DETAIL. THE MASK OF THE SUN GOD APOLLO, USED BY LOUIS XIV FOR HIS PERSONAL SYMBOL AS THE SUN KING. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

FRAGMENTS OF ARCHITECTURAL ORNAMENT IN A PARISIAN WOODWORKING STUDIO. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

Classical ornament. The refined elements of design that depend on exact proportion and scale, gifts to us from the ancients. The adornment of Greek and Roman temples as part of a well developed system of classical “orders” has made a profound effect on the Western European artistic tradition. During the Italian Renaissance, the classical treasury of ornament reappeared with the inclusion of decorative borders in architecture. Dentils, egg and dart motif, beaded moldings and acanthus leaves were rediscovered and reapplied to buildings, then to furniture, picture frames, silver and every other form of art. Scale and proportion are essential in the correct use of classical ornament in order for it to enhance the forms that it adorns. The following photographs were taken during a visit to a long established woodworking studio in Paris specializing in 18th century paneling, both its preservation and reproduction.

SECTIONS OF 18TH CENTURY FRENCH WOODWORK. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

A GILDED FRAME ADORNED WITH THE CURVING FLORAL FORMS THAT CHARACTERIZE THE EARLY 18TH CENTURY ROCOCO STYLE. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

THE MODELS OF WAVE PATTERNS ON THE LEFT AND THE LEAF MOTIFS ON THE RIGHT ARE NUMBERED IN ORDER THAT A DESIGNER COULD SELECT THE ORNAMENT IN A SCALE APPROPRIATE TO THEIR RESPECTIVE PROJECT. THESE MODELS ARE IN THE NEO-CLASSICAL STYLE, BASED ON ANCIENT GREEK AND ROMAN SOURCES, WHICH DOMINATED DESIGN DURING THE LAST HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

DETAIL OF DENTILS, THE TEETHLIKE FEATURES ALONG THE CORNICE, AND CLASSICAL GARLANDS IN THE UPPER WALLS OF THE BELVEDERE IN THE GARDENS OF THE PETIT TRIANON, VERSAILLES. DESIGNED BY RICHARD MIQUE FOR QUEEN MARIE ANTOINETTE IN THE 1780S. PHOTO: JOHN TSCHIRCH

PHOTOS BY JOHN TSCHIRCH: TO SEE MORE OF MY WORK, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE AND CLICK ON “PHOTOGRAPHY.”

The art and science of horticulture significantly expanded during the 17th and 18th centuries. Spurred on by global exploration and trade, new plant specimens made their way to the cities and royal courts of Europe. Painting, garden design, architecture, textiles, illustration art and numerous other art forms were influenced by the new passion for flowers.

In 1641, a legendary work appeared in Paris entitled The Garland of Julie, featuring 29 madrigals each accompanied by an exquisitely rendered painting of a flower. The front of the book displayed a garland of popular blooms, including roses, tulips, anemones and narcissi. Nicholas Robert executed the floral paintings while Nicholas Jarry produced the calligraphy for each poem. Bound in red Moroccan leather, scented with perfume and placed in a walnut case, the precious manuscript was delivered to its intended recipient.

Julie d’Angennes, the daughter of the renowned literary hostess, the Marquise de Rambouillet, was the subject of the Garland. She had been courted for over 15 years by Charles de Saint Maure, Marquis de Montausier, a brave soldier but a rather ineffective suitor until struck by a brilliant idea. Flowers would be his language of love. He commissioned several accomplished poets to write madrigals of a flowers which would represent the inner and outer beauty of Julie. After the artists, Robert and Jarry, completed work on the book, it was left at Julie’s residence. Constant devotion and dogged determination appeared to work. Julie accepted de Montausier’s proposal of marriage. They were finally wed in July of 1645.

The Garland of Julie achieved instant fame among the fashionable world of Paris. Today, the book is a revered treasure in the collection of the French National Library.

Look for more detail on The Garland of Julie, which features prominently in my historical fiction novel, Beauty’s Hero: The Story Behind the Tale of Sleeping Beauty, to be published in the Spring of 2016.

THE COVER OF THE ART OF THE JOINER BY MONSIEUR ROUBO, MASTER JOINER. IMAGE: COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA.

Andre Jacob Roubo (1739-1791) was an accomplished woodworker and author of the multi-volume book L’Art du Menuisier, or, The Art of the Joiner. This masterful publication, produced between 1769 and 1774, featured a comprehensive overview of techniques for all manner of wood carving, such as interior paneling, furniture, carriages and garden trellises. The book also included lists of tools and procedures for carpentry. Roubo engraved the 389 plates, which combine practical information with images of exquisite beauty. His treatise was a product of the Age of Enlightenment and the intellectual emphasis on codifying and documenting all forms of human knowledge. France became the unrivaled center of European luxury trades during the 17th and 18th centuries, a period when the French may lay claim to perfecting the art of the harmonious interior. Woodwork, furniture, fabrics and light fixtures were conceived as part of a unified environment all dedicated to supporting that most French of all things, “l’art du vivre,” or the art of living. Roubo’s book served as a critical aid in the creation of interiors both pleasing to the eye while meeting every functional need. Beauty and utility made for happy partners in an age renowned for the high quality of its design and craftsmanship.

DETAILS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CHAIR

The following images are excerpts from L’Art du Menuisier and illustrate the combination of beauty and function.

DETAILS OF FLOWERS AND A GARLAND. IMAGE: COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA

INTERIOR VIEW OF A STUDIO, A ROUBO WORK BENCH AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT. IMAGE: COURTESY OF WIKIPEDIA